Fluid flow plate with a supporting frame for a fuel cell

This Application claims priority of Taiwan Patent Application No. 099101592, filed on Jan. 21, 2010, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a fluid flow plate, and in particular, to a fluid flow plate utilized in a fuel cell.

2. Description of the Related Art

A fuel cell stack is layered by multiple fuel cells. As shown in FIG. 1 , each fuel cell 10 comprises a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) 20 , two layers of gas diffusion layers (GDL) 30 and two flow fluid plates 40 . The GDLs 30 are on two sides of the MEA 20 , and each of which is sandwiched between the MEA 20 and one of the flow fluid plates 40 . The flow fluid plate 40 comprises a plurality of fluid channels 41 to transmit and distribute the flow fluid within the fuel cell 10 .

Operating stability and the reliability of the fuel cell 10 is dependent upon the efficiency of fluid flowing into the fluid channels 41 of each fluid flow plate 40 for electrochemical reactions and therefrom.

When the fuel cells 10 are stacked into a fuel cell stack, however, due to the assembly process, force may be applied to the fuel cells 10 , wherein the fluid channels 41 near the inlet and the outlet of each fluid flow plate 40 may become deformed or collapse. In such a case, the MEA 20 and the GDLs 30 would be separated and the flow process of the fluid would be hindered.

Accordingly, a fluid flow plate of a fuel cell is provided. The fluid flow plate includes a main body and a supporting frame. The main body includes a plurality of fluid channels and an opening, wherein the fluid channels converge at the opening. The supporting frame, mounted on the periphery of the opening, is annular shaped and frames the fluid channels. The supporting frame includes a pair of supporting walls respectively disposed on two sides of the fluid channels.

A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional fuel cell;

FIG. 2 is schematic view of a fluid flow plate of the invention;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic views of the fluid flow plate of the invention viewed from different view points;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic views of a variant embodiment of the fluid flow plate of the invention viewed from different view points; and

FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic views of another variant embodiment of the fluid flow plate of the invention viewed from different view points.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the fluid flow plate 100 of a fuel cell of the invention comprises a main body 200 and a supporting frame 300 . The main body comprises a plurality of fluid channels 201 and a plurality of openings 202 . The openings 202 are formed at the inlet and the outlet of the converged areas of the fluid channels 201 , and the supporting frame 300 is disposed on the periphery of the opening 202 and frames the fluid channels 201 .

In detail, referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B , the supporting frame 300 is annular shaped and comprises a pair of first supporting walls 301 and a pair of second supporting walls 302 . The first supporting walls 301 are opposite to each other, and the second supporting walls 302 are also opposite to each other. The first supporting walls 301 and the second supporting walls 302 alternatively connect with each other to form the annular shape (as shown in FIG. 3A ). The main body 200 comprises two engaging notches 203 extending from the opening 202 into the main body 200 . By engaging the first supporting walls 301 with the engaging notches 203 , the supporting frame 300 may frame the fluid channels 201 (as shown in FIG. 3B ) and the fluid channels 201 may extend into the supporting frame 300 . Moreover, an inner surface and an outer surface of each first supporting walls 301 both abut the main body 200 , enabling the supporting frame 300 to tightly attach to the main body 200 . The second supporting walls 302 are flush with the main body 200 .

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B , in a variant embodiment, the supporting frame 300 comprises a plurality of ribs 300 R disposed on an inner surface of the second supporting walls 302 . A plurality of corresponding channels 310 are formed between every two adjacent ribs 300 B corresponding to the fluid channels 201 of the main body 200 . When the supporting frame 300 engages with the engaging notches 203 , the fluid channels 201 connect with the corresponding channels 310 .

Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B , in another variant embodiment, the main body 200 comprises an accommodating space 200 S formed on the periphery of the opening 202 and corresponding to the fluid channels 201 . Thus, the engaging notches 203 originally formed on the main body 200 can be eliminated. The supporting frame 300 is tightly fit into the accommodating space 200 S. By the abutment between the first supporting walls 301 and the main body 200 , the supporting frame 300 can be tightly disposed on the main body 200 , and the second supporting walls 302 can be flush with the main body 200 .

In all of the above embodiments, the supporting frame 300 is annular shaped, and the first supporting walls 301 is tightly attached to the main body 200 when the supporting frame 300 is assembled to the main body 200 . Additionally, the extended direction of the first supporting walls 301 is parallel with the stacked direction of the fuel cells in a fuel cell stack, enabling assembly force during assembly to be transferred directly through the first supporting walls 301 within every fuel cell. Therefore, deformation of the supporting frame 300 and collapse of the fluid channels 201 are prevented.

The fluid flow plate 100 of the invention utilizes the supporting frame 300 and disposes the supporting frame 300 at the inlet and the outlet of the fluid channels 201 to enhance structural integrity and strength. When multiple fuel cells are stacked together, the fluid flow plate 100 within each of the fuel cells supports the inlet and the outlet areas of the fluid channels 201 , avoiding separation of the MEA and the GDLs. As a result, fluid therein can smoothly flow through the inlet and the outlet of the fluid channels 201 and be uniformly distributed among the stacked fuel cells to ensure operating stability and the reliability of the fuel cell stack.

While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.